After having attended scores of meetings over the phone or in person, I have come to realize one thing – Humor can be a powerful tool towards the success of the meetings.
Here are my observations:
- Who does not mind a good, timely laugh in the midst of serious atmosphere of a meeting? It somehow makes people trust you more and drives more attention to what you are saying. Their attention span automatically increases.
- Humor which is witty, subtle and timely (without offense to anyone, of course) is much appreciated
- Start, middle and end are key slots for a good smile/laugh. Though ‘natural’ humor is what people look for but it pays to have a sense of this fact.
- I have observed many people to take up things on their own (make a slight fun of themselves) while generating laughter. People appreciate these light-hearted people with less of ego and a friendly approach towards life.
- Humor helps people gel. It helps set the ‘group norms’ for that group. People in turn, start opening up and voicing their concerns/feedback or suggestions.
- The leaders should be careful enough to let humor stay in its limits (from team members). It implies it should not be offending to anyone in any manner.
Try for yourself and observe the power of humor in meetings, I’m sure you would love it. 😉